Coding bootcamps in Seattle to launch your software engineering career

Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now software engineering mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream job. Check out my article with coding bootcamps in Seattle to help kickstart your career.

The Seattle metropolitan area is home to some of the biggest names in the tech scene, including Google, Amazon, Expedia, and Microsoft. Thanks to the growing number of tech and startup jobs in the city, more people are heading to Seattle, registering for coding bootcamps, and launching their careers.

With so many programs to choose from, finding the right coding bootcamp can be daunting. We want to help you find the program that best suits your learning goals and career objectives. So, we put together a list of coding bootcamps in Seattle. Use it to find the right one to launch your software engineering career.

1. General Assembly

To start, check out General Assembly. This well known tech bootcamp has tracks in software engineering, data science, and other subjects. The bootcamp’s 12-week software engineering immersive program is offered onsite in Seattle. Students learn computer science fundamentals, as well as more advanced topics, including algorithms, data structures, design patterns, and APIs.

The program places a big emphasis on learning different frameworks and stacks. Therefore, students learn how to build interactive full stack applications using a variety of different approaches and in-demand tools, such as Python and Django. In the final weeks of the immersive bootcamp, students meet 1-on-1 with career coaches to discuss resumes, portfolios, and interview prep. Read more about General Assembly in our review of the program.

2. Thinkful

Thinkful is a tech bootcamp with part-time and full-time courses for aspiring software engineers. People who wish to study at their Seattle campus can choose from 2 options: immersion and flexible. Students in the 5-month immersion program meet for 50-60 hours per week. However, those who select the 6-month flexible option meet for 25-30 hours per week and can customize their schedule.

Working closely with mentors, instructors, and TAs, students study web development fundamentals (HTML, CSS, & JavaScript), server-side programming with NodeJS, front-end development with React, data structures, algorithms, and more. They build interactive web applications, which form the foundation of their portfolios. At various points throughout the program, bootcamp attendees meet with career coaches. They offer guidance on resume and portfolio building, behavioral and technical interview prep, and other aspects of the job search.

3. Flatiron School

A well known program, Flatiron School offers a 15-week software engineering bootcamp. This full-time course meets Monday-Friday from 9AM-6PM. Students participate in class discussions, lectures, pair-programming exercises, labs, and hands-on projects that they can include in their portfolios. They focus on object-oriented programming, SQL, Ruby, Sinatra, JavaScript, and front-end with React & Redux.

During the final weeks of the program, students have 1-on-1 sessions with career coaches to discuss resume optimization, interview prep strategies, and more. With a strong alumni presence in Seattle, San Francisco, and other tech hubs, Flatiron School provides ample networking opportunities for bootcamp grads.

4. Coding Dojo

With campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, and elsewhere, Coding Dojo is another coding bootcamp option for aspiring software engineers. People who enroll in the full-time onsite program must commit to working at least 70 hours per week. They do this so that they can learn 3 stacks in 14 weeks. All students begin with the fundamentals of front-end web development and back-end with Python.

After mastering the fundamentals, students pick 2 additional stacks to study from the following list: MEAN, Ruby, Java, or C#.NET. They participate in algorithm sessions, tech talks, and lectures, as well as portfolio-worthy group and individual projects. Besides the technical curriculum, students receive 1-on-1 support from career coaches. They provide guidance on portfolio & resume building, behavioral & technical interview prep, and other components of the job search.

5. Hack Reactor

Another rigorous option, Hack Reactor is a software engineering bootcamp that offers a 12-week, full-time course in Seattle. Before enrolling in the bootcamp, which meets Monday-Friday from 9am-8pm, students must complete at least 80 hours of self-paced pre-work. However, this is available online for free. In the first half of the program, students participate in pair programming sessions, lectures, hands-on projects, coding sprints, presentations, and more. They focus on React, Block, and full-stack JavaScript, as well as API and CSS frameworks.

During the second half, students start working on their portfolios by building an application from scratch. Towards the end of the program, they meet with career coaches, who offer guidance on resumes, interview preparation, and salary negotiation.

6. Kal Academy

A nonprofit bootcamp, Kal Academy offers web development and software engineering courses for women and underrepresented minorities in Redmond, WA, the Seattle suburb where Microsoft’s corporate headquarters is located. People can register for individual courses, which are 4 weeks long and meet for 2 hours each week. Moreover, they offer in-depth bootcamps, which meet for 2 hours each weekend for 16 weeks. All students participate in a mix of lectures, hands-on projects, and homework assignments.

They can take individual courses on topics such as programming with C#, programming with Python, and intro to Windows Powershell, as well as in-depth software engineering and web development tracks that teach programming fundamentals (object-oriented programming and C#), mobile programming, and other topics.

7. Galvanize

Galvanize offers a software engineering bootcamp at their Seattle campus. Like Hack Reactor, Galvanize requires students to complete 80 hours of self-paced pre-work, or complete the bootcamp’s 6-week prep course, which is part-time, paid, and available online. Those who enroll in the 12-week software engineering bootcamp meet Monday-Friday from 9am-8pm, as well as on Saturdays from 9am-5:30pm. Students focus on full-stack JavaScript and application design.

They spend the first half of the bootcamp participating in lecture, labs, and Q&A sessions that cover core computer science concepts, such as inheritance patterns, algorithms, MVC patterns, databases, API and CSS frameworks, and server side technologies. Then, during the second portion of the bootcamp, students work on teams to develop a front-end application. Finally, in the last weeks of the program, they focus on the job search by working 1-on-1 with career coaches, who provide assistance with interview prep, salary negotiation, and resume building.

8. Epicodus

Another software engineering bootcamp, Epicodus offers in-person courses in Seattle, as well as Portland. People who enroll in the Epicodus full-time program meet Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm for 27 weeks. The bootcamp is divided into 3 sections: in-person coursework (20 weeks), internship preparation (2 weeks), and an unpaid internship (5 weeks). Students learn the fundamentals of JavaScript, C#, HTML/CSS, and more. Working in pairs, they spend their mornings completing hands-on projects. After every session, each group participates in a peer code review with another pair. While students can receive assistance from instructors, Epicodus does not provide formal lectures or breakout sessions. But, Epicodus career coaches offer bootcamp attendees advice on various components of the job search, including resumes, portfolios, and interview prep, for up to 1 year after graduation.

People who are looking for a part-time commitment can benefit from one of the bootcamp’s part-time courses: introduction to programming (10 weeks) or JavaScript + React (20 weeks). While the introduction to programming course offered by Epicodus covers the basics of HTML/CSS, Git, and JavaScript, the intermediate JS+React program is a good option for those with some background in JavaScript.

9. Code Fellows

Aspiring software engineers in Seattle can also check out Code Fellows, a bootcamp with a number of full-time and part-time options. Code Fellows students participate in lectures (not recorded), whiteboard exercises, in-class assignments, 1-on-1s with instructors, pair programming sessions, and hands-on labs.

The bootcamp offers courses across 4 levels: Code 100 (beginner), Code 200 (intermediate), Code 300 (intermediate/advanced), and Code 400 (advanced). While Code 101 and Code 102 cover the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Git/GitHub, as well as computer science fundamentals such as variables and conditions, Code 201 and Code 301 teach more advanced topics, including APIs, SQL, and AJAX.

Besides learning advanced skills and tools like Python, ASP.NET, and SpringMVC, Code 401 students receive 1-on-1 sessions with career coaches, who provide feedback on elevator pitches, resumes, and more. Upon completing the qualifying interview, which mimics an actual technical interview, Code 401 students can network with potential employers through the Code Fellows Career Accelerator. After completing the program, Code Fellows graduates are invited to create a profile on the Code Fellows Talent Portal, where they can find exclusive job postings and internships with the bootcamp’s partner companies.

With this list of coding bootcamps in Seattle, you should be able to find a program that suits your needs. If you are ready to level up your job search by working with expert mentors each step of the way, Pathrise can help. We provide 1-on-1 support to students and professionals on every component of the job search, including technical and behavioral interview prep, resume and portfolio building, salary negotiation, and more.

If you are looking to work with a mentor to optimize your job search and help you land a job in software engineering, join Pathrise.